Start of the Future
by KateToast
Summary: What if Rachel hadn't given her number to Bill from the bar in TOW Rachel's Phone Number? Oneshot.


**Disclaimer**: Friends is not mine, thanks.

**A/N**: After re-watching basically all of season nine, I realized how upsetting it was that Ross and Rachel didn't get back together in those firstfew episodes (of course, we know now it's because the show was picked up for another season). I, personally, was mad that Rachel gave her phone number to that bar guy. So, I came up with this little 'what if' one-shot showing how that evening could have ended had Rachel not given her number out and she had realized a few things concerning her roommate.

**XXX**

Rachel grinned as she and Phoebe sat down on the couch in the middle of the crowded bar, setting her drink on the table in front of her. She was so glad Phoebe had mentioned going out, just the two of them; she hadn't had much time to herself ever since Emma was born. Hell, ever since she had gotten pregnant.

"Remember the girls' nights we used to have sitting around talking about you and Ross?" Phoebe asked.

Rachel smiled in spite of herself at the thought. Wow, these days just _hearing_ his name made her mouth curve upwards. "Oh God. It seems like forever ago."

"I know," Phoebe agreed, and, after only moment, said, "So, what's going on with you and Ross?"

Becoming a bit bashful at sharing details of this particular topic, Rachel averted her eyes, letting them drift to the other bar patrons. "Well, um… I don't know. I mean, for a long time nothing. But you know, actually right before you picked me up, Ross and I had a… little thing." She felt herself blushing.

Phoebe looked ecstatic. "Oh my God! I love things! What happened?"

Replaying the moment in her mind, Rachel replied, "Well, um, first he told me he liked how I looked. And, ah, then we had a little… um… eye-contact."

It hadn't been the first time in recent months that she and Ross had had a moment that seemed a bit more than platonic. Just late one night a week ago Rachel had been singing softly to Emma in the living room, trying to get her to go to sleep, when Ross had silently entered and sat beside her without saying a word. He'd smiled at her first, then at their fussy daughter, before lightly putting his arm around Rachel's shoulders. If the room had been just a little brighter, he probably would've noticed the blush that had graced Rachel's cheeks at the contact, making her feel as if she was in junior high again and the boy she liked had brushed her hand.

It had been a serene instant, and for a second Rachel had nearly thought she and Ross were a married couple, up late with the baby, both wanting to lie down beside each other in bed and get some peaceful shut-eye.

"Eye contact?" Phoebe repeated, seeming to deflate in excitement.

"Mm-hmm."

"I hope you were using protection," her friend quipped as she took a sip of her drink, and Rachel was about to spit out a comeback when a waiter approached them.

"These are from the two gentlemen at the end of the bar," he informed them, depositing the drinks on the table.

After declining a second drink in a manner that apparently people who had never breastfed wouldn't understand, the waiter retreated and Rachel and Phoebe glanced over at the _very_ good-looking guys who had sent them.

"Should we send something back?" Rachel questioned, slightly confused. She'd never had anyone send her something at a bar. Was there some sort of proper bar etiquette they should follow?

After Phoebe suggested sending mashed potatoes, Rachel realized the consequences of what _actually_ sending something over to the guys may suggest, and she shook her head. "Wait! No, no. Don't do that! That's going to make them think they can come over here."

"So? What if they do?"

"We're not here to meet guys," Rachel reminded her friend, her thoughts clouded by images of Ross and Emma. "You have a boyfriend, I have a bo-" She stopped herself, and then backtracked, "-baby and a Ross."

"Yeah, but nothing is going to happen," Phoebe insisted, obviously up for some fun and missing Rachel's rising panic. "You know, not everything has to go as far as _eye-contact_."

Rachel felt herself turning pink again, but soon the added coloring was forgotten as the two guys made their way over to she and Phoebe. She unconsciously smoothed out her dress as introductions were made, and soon enough was having a fun conversation with Bill, who lived in the same building as her grandmother.

In the back of her mind, Rachel wondered how Ross and Mike were doing. She hoped Emma was okay. Oh, she hated leaving her little girl… and after the flirtation between she and Ross before she'd left, she sort of wished she'd stayed in tonight to spend time with not only her daughter, but also her roommate.

"Maybe we can get your numbers and give you guys a call if we find something fun," Kevin suggested after explaining they were going party-hopping.

"I'm sorry," Phoebe began, "We weren't really looking for anything to happen with you guys. I have a boyfriend."

"It's no big deal," Kevin said.

As they were standing, Bill fixed his gaze on Rachel. "So, she has a boyfriend. What's your situation?"

"Oh, well, it's complicated," Rachel explained. "I don't actually have a boyfriend…"

"Then, can I have your number?"

Rachel considered, weighing her options. This new, cute guy wanted her number. Of course, he didn't even know that she had a baby. But it wasn't like she saw any potential with this guy in the slightest. Of course, what if he was expecting something meaningful from her? But maybe it would be fun… what was the harm?

For some reason, "the harm" looked a lot like a certain dark-haired, dark-eyed ex-boyfriend/ex-husband/current roommate of hers.

"I'm sorry, no," she finally said.

"Okay," he nodded, and they walked away.

For a split second, she almost called him back. But then she remembered the moment earlier, and the moment last week, and all of the little moments that could really turn into something amazing.

Suddenly, all Rachel wanted to do was go home to her daughter and her… Ross.

"Wow," Phoebe said, giving Rachel an appraising look. "Way to be strong. I thought for sure you'd cave at the last second and give him your number. Well, maybe not _your_ number, but at least _a_ number."

Rachel tucked some hair behind her ear and shrugged. "Well, I thought about giving him it. But then I thought of Ross, and I just…. I don't want to jeopardize anything that may or may not be happening between us."

"How very grown-up of you," Phoebe praised.

"Yes, I thought so," Rachel said with a smile. "Hey, you wanna get out of here? I'm sure you want to spend the rest of the night with Mike…"

"And you want to spend it with Ross," Phoebe added with a smirk. "Yeah, let's get going. I mean, now that everyone here has seen those guys come and go, no one else will probably be sending us anything."

**XXX**

Rachel turned her key in the lock and opened the door to the apartment, Phoebe just a step behind. "Hi," she greeted, and both Ross and Mike leapt up from the couch. Rachel smiled, confused, as Ross hugged her and led her farther into the room.

Phoebe and Mike departed, but as Rachel was locking the door she remembered she had forgotten to pay Phoebe for the drinks. Deciding she'd catch her later, she turned back and faced the living room. Ross was sitting on the couch comfortably, looking very relieved. An empty pizza box and a few drained beer bottles were on the coffee table.

"So did you guys have a good time?" Ross asked as Rachel knelt beside Emma's bassinet to check on her.

"Yeah, it was so much fun to dress up and go out."

"Good. You've been due for a break. Even super-moms need a vacation sometimes."

Rachel smiled a little and stood up straight. "Super-mom?"

"Well… you know what I mean," Ross said with a hint of embarrassment.

They stared at each other for another long moment, and in the back of her mind Rachel noted that it was very similar to the moment they'd had before she'd left. She kept grinning like an idiot, and Ross' eyes seemed to be ever-so-slowly making their way a few inches below her face. This time, she didn't reprimand him. Being approached by that guy in the bar had just made her realize that she wasn't looking for a man.

She had one right in front of her.

The air in the room changed, and both of them seemed to notice it. Rachel knew this could either turn into an incredible night, or just another of their missed chances.

She dimmed the lights a bit to help the baby sleep, and then sat down on the edge of the coffee table, across from Ross. She patted his knee gently. "So thanks again for watching Emma."

"Hey, it's no problem," Ross said, waving it off with his hand. He looked slightly uncomfortable, and Rachel wondered if their close contact had anything to do with it. "She's my daughter too. Plus, I didn't exactly have big plans for tonight."

"Well, hey, you had a date with Mike!" Rachel insisted with a small chuckle, letting her hand finally rest on his knee. She let her eyes drop from his as the laughter stopped and glanced out the picture window. "So, um, we should put up some Christmas decorations. Emma would probably like them."

"I'm not so sure Emma would really notice," Ross reminded her.

"Ross, it's her first Christmas," Rachel whined, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes that she knew he couldn't resist.

"It's her first Hanukkah, too, you know," Ross said. "Maybe I'll get her a dreidel. I got Ben one for his first Hanukkah."

"Well, we can celebrate both," Rachel told him. "I mean, both she and Ben are so lucky, they get the best of both worlds."

Ross nodded, and casually let his hand cover Rachel's, which still rested on his knee. Their eyes locked, and before either knew what was really happening, their lips met in an electrifying kiss Rachel hadn't experienced since the one before she and Ross had left the apartment for the hospital after her water had broken.

She didn't know what she was feeling as the kiss went on, but was definitely shocked when she felt Ross pull away sharply and jump to his feet. Rachel sat still, confused as to what had just happened and why he had backed off. She had realized at the bar that _he_ was what she wanted, but she hadn't considered that maybe he didn't want her _back_.

"Rach…," Ross started, letting out a false chuckle as he paced back and forth in front of Emma's bassinet. "What uh, what just happened here?"

"Well, I _think_ we just kissed," Rachel stated in a 'duh' tone, crossing her arms over her chest.

He stopped his legs and rooted himself to the ground. "Yeah, but, I thought we… I thought that after the whole Joey proposal fiasco we decided we wouldn't go down that road again?" He paused for just a second and then added, "For Emma's sake?"

Feeling a prickling sensation in her eyes, Rachel shrugged. "We did." She took a deep breath, and continued, "But Ross, you know the _real _reason we didn't get back together was _solely_ because of that messed up proposal. I mean, we were going to talk about starting things up again, remember?"

"I remember," Ross agreed quietly, not able to meet her eyes. "But you said yes to Joey."

Rachel could not believe they were having this conversation _again_. "I was so out of it I would've said yes to anybody!"

"You know, everyone kept saying that," Ross murmured. "But I don't want to be 'just anybody' to you."

"Ross…," Rachel practically pleaded, holding out her hands, palm-up. "You never were and never will _be_ 'just anybody' to me. And I thought that after we talked about it and decided to go on as roommates and parents but not a couple that I was okay with it, but tonight, something happened that made me realize that I'm _not_ okay with it."

Ross' eyes finally reached Rachel's, and he looked defeated. "What happened?" he asked in a small voice.

"Well," Rachel started, feeling a bit embarrassed, "two guys sent Phoebe and I drinks, and they came over and we talked to them, and as they were leaving they asked for our numbers."

"But Phoebe has a boyfriend."

"She told them that."

There was a tense pause, and Ross asked cautiously, "What did you do?"

"I… didn't give the guy my number."

"Why not?"

"Because _you're_ the only guy I've been able to think about for a long time now, Ross, and I knew that if I gave that guy my number, I would've regretted it, because it would've ruined whatever you and I have going right now."

Ross placed a hand on the edge of Emma's bassinet, and Rachel wasn't sure if he just needed something to do with his hands or if he was steadying himself. She hadn't been this honest and open about what she was feeling towards Ross in a long, long time, and she was suddenly struck by how very grown-up she felt.

"A guy asked you for your number," Ross stated.

"Yes."

"But you… didn't give it to him."

"Yes." Rachel stood from the coffee table and approached him slowly. "I'm being so open with you right now it hurts, Ross. I don't know what else to say."

"I just…" Ross mumbled. "It's like… I'm…"

Rachel halted her steps inches from the man standing before her. "What, Ross?"

"This can't be real," he muttered to himself, waving his hands in the air and looking towards the ceiling. Rachel was taken aback by this. "You and I… we've never been on the same page at the same time. There's always something getting in the way, and if it's not some_thing_, then it's some_one_, and the timing is _never_ right, and then just when it may _be_ one of us goes and screws it up, and we _annoy_ each other to no end and we _both_ get jealous so _easily_ and now that we have Emma we could mess everything up for her future-"

As Ross had been ranting, he'd been shaking his head back and forth and making wild gestures and letting his gaze roam around the apartment and focus on anything but Rachel. For her part, she had at first been utterly shocked by his sudden outburst, and had listened with open ears to everything he had been saying.

But a girl can only take so many negative points before stepping in.

"Ross!" Rachel interrupted, using a sharp tone she wasn't accustomed to. It made him stop and stare at her, finally. Now that she had his attention, she wasn't entirely sure how to go about remedying his troubles. She took both his hands in hers. "Yes… _yes_, all of those things are true. It was never a good time for us in the past. And yes, we've _both_ gotten jealous, but that's just natural instinct, right? And _of course _we annoy each other, we're practically opposites! Look at Monica and Chandler: they bug the hell out of each other, and they're making a marriage work!"

That got a ghost of a smile out of Ross, and Rachel felt spurred on by this to continue. "And you're right, now that we have Emma to think we about, we don't want to do anything that would cause her pain or trouble in the future. But Ross, all you're considering are the bad aspects of us getting back together could bring. What about the good stuff?" she asked.

Ross looked thoughtful as she finished, and Rachel took the moment to revel in his warm hands in hers and his soft brown eyes gazing down at her with something akin to amazement.

"Rachel," he finally exhaled, "if we get back together… this is it."

Her face contorted into a quizzical regard of his cryptic words. "What?" she questioned in confusion.

He let both of his hands rest just below her shoulders. "I mean, this is _it_. No more joking around and walking on eggshells. When you told me you were pregnant… it made feelings I had thought were long-gone for you reappear, and right before Emma was born, I thought we were getting on-track, y'know? That we felt the same way. But then the whole thing with Joey…"

"Ross, I _want_ this," Rachel put in. "After I found out about Emma, the feelings I had for you came back, too. I want us to have a future together. We're so much older and wiser and more experienced than we were when we first got together all those years ago. I know what I want."

"I do too," Ross agreed, his mouth slowly curving upwards. "We _have_ to make this work."

"We will," Rachel said confidently, letting a smile of her own grace her pretty face.

They stood there for minutes, grinning like fools at each other, the rest of the world melting away from the moment both had wanted for so long.

Rachel felt as if her heart was going to explode. Was this really real? Was this _actually_ happening? Were she and Ross finally on the same page, ready to begin a new life _together_?

Her eyes misted a little, as did Ross', and Rachel knew he was thinking exactly what she was. Something deep down in her soul constricted, and she knew she had to say one more thing before they left the moment in search of a new one that was sure to come.

"I love you," she breathed, and by the way Ross's grin lit up even more and a few tears fell down his cheeks and he trembled slightly in her grasp, she knew she didn't have to say anything more.

"I love you too," he replied simply, and their lips met for a kiss neither would ever forget.

Rachel never would have guessed as she had left the apartment earlier that evening to go out for a drink or two with Phoebe that it was going to end up with this; with her future drastically changed for the better.

As if signifying that their lives were still not going to be easy, Emma let out a wail, and the kiss- and moment- was broken in favor of the baby, their first priority no matter what.

Bending over the bassinet to check her daughter, Rachel glanced one more time at Ross, who was standing in the center of the living room, looking as loveable as ever.

Maybe tomorrow she'd check the paper to see if any houses were for sale in Scarsdale.

**XXX**

_End._


End file.
